Your brain creates a 'whole' that is greater than its parts
In short: Why do you see a vase instead of two faces? Figure-ground perception is the fundamental process of segregating objects from their surroundings. It is one of the first visual skills to develop in infants, allowing the brain to organize chaotic sensory data into meaningful, navigable structures.
The concept of figure-ground organization originated with the Gestalt school in the early 20th century. Founded by Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka, Gestalt psychology argued against 'atomistic' views of perception, proposing instead that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A core principle is that sensory organization depends on the dynamical context and relative properties of stimulation rather than isolated stimuli. This is exemplified by 'multistable perception,' where the brain oscillates between different interpretations of the same image, such as the Rubin vase, depending on how it assigns edges to the figure or the background.
Modern neuroscience has mapped these psychological principles onto specific biological mechanisms. Research shows that figure-ground segregation involves a three-stage process in the primary visual cortex (V1). First, feedforward inputs from the retina drive initial responses. Second, neurons begin to respond to the boundaries between figures and backgrounds, specifically in the supragranular layers. Finally, a 'region-filling' phase occurs where feedback signals from higher cortical areas enhance the representation of the entire figure, including its center. This late phase is dependent on NMDA receptors; disrupting it can interfere with the ability to perceive figures clearly.
While these mechanisms were long studied in monkeys and humans, recent research has confirmed that mice also possess these complex neuronal circuits. Studies on awake mice show that they can detect figures defined by orientation contrast, even when size, position, or phase vary. In mice, the extra neuronal activity elicited by figures is strongest at the edges and is driven by synaptic inputs into layer 2/3 of the V1. This similarity suggests that the fundamental 'wiring' for organizing visual scenes is conserved across species, from rodents to primates.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Figure-ground perception in the awake mouse and neuronal activity elicited by figure-ground stimuli in primary visual cortex | Scientific Reports
- Also: Figure–ground (perception)
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